DAY 21
Pray for Leaders and for the Advance of the Gospel

‘Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.’ Ephesians 6:19-20

The apostle Paul has already shown how he prays for the church and has gone on to encourage the believers to pray for each other. Here, he concludes with a remarkable call for the church to pray for him. There’s much that we can learn from this.

First, spiritual leaders need prayer, too! Here we have the mighty apostle Paul twice asking for the prayer support of the Christians in the church in Ephesus: ‘Pray also for me … Pray’.

Second, there is a particular need to pray for those who are involved in the proclamation of the gospel. Here Paul is asking for two things: utterance and boldness. One author on prayer has written: “air is not more necessary to lungs than prayer to the preacher … the preacher must pray, but the preacher must be prayed for.” – E.M. Bounds

Third, we must all imitate Paul’s commitment to sharing the good news. Here Paul is in prison, and yet his number one prayer is not so much for his own needs, but that he might continue to be a faithful ambassador in proclaiming the good news. While we are not all called to preach like the apostle Paul, we are called to maintain a state of readiness as witnesses of the gospel.

As we conclude these 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, let’s reflect on the incredible privilege we have, as those who are now children of the light and therefore, Christ’s ambassadors, to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others, giving opportunity for their lives to be transformed.